Sir Hew Dalrymple, 1st Baronet, of High Mark
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Hew Whitefoord Dalrymple, 1st Baronet (3 December 1750 – 9 April 1830) was a British Army
general and Governor of Gibraltar
.
in 1766 and Captain in 1768. He took time out from the Army to study at Edinburgh University from 1767 to 1768. Dalrymple was knighted in 1779 thanks to the influence of his family. Lieutenant-Colonel of the 68th Foot in 1781, he became Colonel of the 37th Foot on 18 November 1790, then transferred to the 1st Foot Guards. In 1793 he commanded a composite battalion of grenadiers in Lake’s
brigade under York in the Flanders Campaign
, and saw action at Raismes 8 May, Famars 23 May, the Siege of Valenciennes
13 June-28 July, and the Siege of Dunkirk
25 August-10 September. He returned to the UK early in 1794 and was made Major-General on 3 October. In 1796 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
. On 1 January 1801 he was promoted Lieutenant-General. Then from 1802 to 1806 he was General Officer Commanding
Northern District
. In 1806 he became Governor of Gibraltar
.
In 1806 Dalrymple served under Fox
at Gibraltar. After Fox’s departure he was made Acting Governor of Gibraltar, replacing Gordon Drummond
, November 1806- August 1808.
In 1808 he was appointed Commander of the Portuguese Expedition, landing on 22 August after Junot
’s defeat at Vimiero
to replace Wellesley
& Burrard. He immediately halted Wellesley’s pursuit of the beaten French to Lisbon.
Lacking either confidence or intelligence, or both, on 31 August Dalrymple signed a truce with Junot allowing him to return to France in British ships with all his weapons & men. This infamous truce, known as the Convention of Cintra, was denounced both in London
and in Portugal
. Dalrymple sailed for home to face an enquiry 4 October, and never held a field command again.
Sir John Moore said he “was never able to determine on any point whatever”. "Sir Hew, having never had the experience of command, seems quite at a loss how to work with the different heads of department; the troops suffer”.
Colonel of the 57th Foot 1811, and promoted General 1 January 1812 through seniority. He was made Governor of Blackness Castle 1818.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Hew Whitefoord Dalrymple, 1st Baronet (3 December 1750 – 9 April 1830) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
general and Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
.
Military career
Dalrymple was commissioned as an ensign into the 31st Regiment of Foot in 1763, was promoted LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1766 and Captain in 1768. He took time out from the Army to study at Edinburgh University from 1767 to 1768. Dalrymple was knighted in 1779 thanks to the influence of his family. Lieutenant-Colonel of the 68th Foot in 1781, he became Colonel of the 37th Foot on 18 November 1790, then transferred to the 1st Foot Guards. In 1793 he commanded a composite battalion of grenadiers in Lake’s
Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake
General Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India.-Background:...
brigade under York in the Flanders Campaign
Flanders Campaign
This feature refers to the conflict that took place during the Wars of the French Revolution 1792–1801.For the Low Countries campaigns of the War of the Grand Alliance 1688–97 see Nine Years' War...
, and saw action at Raismes 8 May, Famars 23 May, the Siege of Valenciennes
Siege of Valenciennes
The Siege of Valenciennes, also known as the Siege of Utrecht, took place from November 1676 to March 1677, during the Franco-Dutch War. A French army besieged the city of Valenciennes, which was then a part of the Spanish Netherlands and defended by a small army of the Holy Roman Empire. The city...
13 June-28 July, and the Siege of Dunkirk
Siege of Dunkirk (1793)
See also the Battle of HondschooteThe Siege of Dunkirk took place in 1793 when British, Hanoverian, Austrian, and Hesse-Kassel troops under the command of Prince Frederick, Duke of York besieged the fortified French border port of Dunkirk as part as the Flanders campaign of the French Revolutionary...
25 August-10 September. He returned to the UK early in 1794 and was made Major-General on 3 October. In 1796 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown. The role of the Lieutenant Governor is to act as the de facto head of state in Guernsey and as liaison between the governments of Guernsey and the...
. On 1 January 1801 he was promoted Lieutenant-General. Then from 1802 to 1806 he was General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Northern District
Northern Command (United Kingdom)
-Nineteenth century:The District Commands of the British Army in Great Britain and Ireland first appear in print in 1840, at which time Northern Command was held by Maj-Gen Charles James Napier, appointed in 1838. During his time the troops stationed within Northern Command were frequently deployed...
. In 1806 he became Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
.
In 1806 Dalrymple served under Fox
Henry Edward Fox
General Henry Edward Fox was a British Army general. He also served for a brief spell as Governor of Minorca.-Family:...
at Gibraltar. After Fox’s departure he was made Acting Governor of Gibraltar, replacing Gordon Drummond
Gordon Drummond
Sir Gordon Drummond, GCB was the first Canadian-born officer to command the military and the civil government of Canada...
, November 1806- August 1808.
In 1808 he was appointed Commander of the Portuguese Expedition, landing on 22 August after Junot
Jean-Andoche Junot
Jean-Andoche Junot, 1st Duke of Abrantès was a French general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
’s defeat at Vimiero
Battle of Vimeiro
In the Battle of Vimeiro the British under General Arthur Wellesley defeated the French under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro , near Lisbon, Portugal during the Peninsular War...
to replace Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
& Burrard. He immediately halted Wellesley’s pursuit of the beaten French to Lisbon.
Lacking either confidence or intelligence, or both, on 31 August Dalrymple signed a truce with Junot allowing him to return to France in British ships with all his weapons & men. This infamous truce, known as the Convention of Cintra, was denounced both in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Dalrymple sailed for home to face an enquiry 4 October, and never held a field command again.
Sir John Moore said he “was never able to determine on any point whatever”. "Sir Hew, having never had the experience of command, seems quite at a loss how to work with the different heads of department; the troops suffer”.
Colonel of the 57th Foot 1811, and promoted General 1 January 1812 through seniority. He was made Governor of Blackness Castle 1818.
Miscellaneous
- He was nicknamed "Dowager" by the army.
- Dalrymple was played by John WoodvineJohn WoodvineJohn Woodvine is an English stage and screen actor who has appeared in more than 70 theatre productions, as well as a similar number of television and film roles.-Early life:...
, in the 1999 Hornblower (TV series)Hornblower (TV series)Hornblower is the umbrella title of a series of television drama programmes based on C. S. Forester's novels about the fictional character Horatio Hornblower, a Royal Naval officer during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars....
episode, The Duchess and the Devil.